NEW - ICSH/JSLH reference measurement procedures for enumeration of erythrocytes and leukocytes - Published in the JCTLM Database (08 July 2025)

The new ICSH/JSLH reference measurement procedures are now published in the JCTLM Database

08 July 2025

The International Council for Standardisation in Haematology (ICSH) and JSLH are pleased to announce two new RMPs have now been published in the JCTLM Database.

The ICSH/JSLH reference measurement procedures (RMPs) for enumeration of erythrocytes and leukocytes in whole blood using standard impedance counter (SIC) and standard operating procedure (SOP) including of validation and verification method for concentration of erythrocytes and leukocytes. These RMPs have been published in the JCTLM Database under JCTLM DB Identifier C18RMP13 and C18RMP14.

Go the JCTLM Database page - here

The ICSH 2024 General Assembly News

The ICSH General Assembly October 2024 in Montpellier, France

The ICSH General Assembly was held in Montpellier over 2 days (8-9 October 2024) and attended by over 60 members and invited guests.

The ICSH sincerely thanks HORIBA for hosting the meeting and for their most generous hospitality. The Assembly was a great success and provided an opportunity for all ICSH members to get an overview of the past year’s activities, and plans for the next.

Before proceeding with the update, I wish to thank Dr Paul Harrison for his service and dedication to the ICSH having served 2-terms (6 years) on the Board. With Paul’s term on the Board having concluded, the ICSH thanks will be seeking expression of Interest from the haematology community for a replacement.

At the General Assembly, participants learnt of the recent achievements of the ICSH with eight publications in 2024 and 15 projects currently underway. The HbA 2 certified reference material project has been completed with low and high CRMs now available. The CD34 guidance and immunodifferential project are also complete and under review for publication. Over the past 12-months, members of the ICSH had given presentations at the International Society for Laboratory Hematology (France), Laboratory Medicine Congress & Exhibition (LMCE2024, Korea) and ECAT Foundation congresses.

The General Assembly received updates on many of the projects currently underway, including thromboelastography, measurement of uncertainty, laboratory developed tests, guidance for malaria testing, standardization of monocyte morphology and revisions to the 2008 bone marrow guidance document.

New project proposals which will be progressing to the development of guidance documents were also discussed. These include areas such as platelet clumping, acquired haemophilia A, laboratory measurement of emicizumab and other non-replacement therapies for Haemophilia and PT / APTT measurement.

Approval was also given for a 3-day morphology education symposium which will be held in Perth (24-26 November 2025).  Although the focus will be education for low and income and resource constrain countries, all are welcome. Further details will be on this ICSH webpage.

Carol Briggs-Smalley award winners, Carly Olafson and Shinto Sugawara, and Dr Zi Ng (Sam Machin Award) gave excellent presentations outlining their projects.

ICSH Affiliate members gave updates to the General Assembly of their activities and we discussed relationships with the WHO and JCTLM.

Revision of the ICSH Constitution is close to completion and will soon be on the website.

Consideration is being given to individual (as well as Corporate and Affiliate) membership - details to follow.

Thanks to all participants and presenters who made the General Assembly a success.

We look forward to a constructive year ahead and hearing more updates at the 2025 General Assembly in Chicago. If you would like further information about the General Assembly, please contact the ICSH through the website or via email (admin@icsh.org).

With best wishes to all,

Professor Wendy Erber

Chair, ICSH Board

ICSH MARCH 2024 UPDATE

The International Council for Standardization in Haematology

MARCH 2024 NEWS

1. New ICSH Board Member Dr Ben Hedley

2. ICSH New Publications

3. ICSH Meetings

4. ICSH Awards

5. ICSH Current Projects

6. New ICSH Corporate Members

7. New ICSH Affiliate Members

New ICSH Board Member Dr Ben Hedley

• The ICSH welcomes Dr Ben Hedley - here

ICSH New Publications

• February 23 ICSH guidance for INR and D-dimer testing using Point of Care testing in primary care IJLH D. Fitzmaurice - Wiley Online

• July 23 ICSH guidance for measurement of factor VIII and factor IX type I inhibitors IJLH P. Meijer - Wiley Online

• November 23 New ICSH Guidance for New Lot Verification of Coagulation Reagents, Calibrators, and Controls Seminars in Thrombosis and Haemostasis R. Gosselin - Wiley Online - Thieme

• November 23 New ICSH Recommendations on fibrinogen assays, thrombin clotting time and related tests in the investigation of bleeding disorders. IJLH I. Mackie - Wiley Online

• December 23 Report of the International Council for Standardization in Haematology working group for standardization of reticulocyte parameters IJLH A.Obstfeld - Wiley Online

• January 24 ICSH guidance for internal quality control policy for blood cell counters IJLH McCafferty - Wiley Online

• January 24 ICSH review of internal quality control policy for blood cell counters IJLH McCafferty - Wiley Online

• February 24 New ICSH technical report 2023: Renewal of the reference material for haemiglobincyanide 19-1-B308 for use in standardization of blood haemoglobin measurements IJLH Harteveld - Wiley Online

ICSH Meetings

• The ICSH Haemostasis Meeting – June 21st, 2024, Bangkok Thailand - registration is now open

• The ICSH General Assembly – October 8th & 9th, 2024, Montpellier France - Registration will open June/July 24

Awards

Sam Machin 2023 Award Winner

• Dr Zi Yun Ng (UK) - Standardisation of JAK2 p.(Val617Phe) Variant Allele Frequency Testing to Monitor Disease Status and Treatment Response in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN)
  

Carol Briggs Smalley 2023 Award Winners

• Ms Tara Talebi (Australia) - Development of a hydrogel cell mimic of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)

• Mr Shing Sugawara (Japan) - Establishment of consensus rules using a novel approach that unifies the individual subjective interpretation of features for the morphological identification of schistocytes in accordance with ICSH Recommendations 2021

Current ICSH Projects

HAEMATOLOGY

• Immuno-platelet count project – JCTLM database inclusion – Mr Terry Fawcett and Dr Paul Harrison

• WBC Immunodifferential project – Dr Brent Wood (USA) – Chair

• HbA2 standardization project – Dr Cornelis Harteveld, the Netherlands – Chair

• MPV standardization project – Dr Paul Harrison (UK) – Chair

• WHO anaemia project – Dr Gina Zini (Italy) – liaison officer

• JCTLM executive – Mr Terry Fawcett (Australia)

• Blood Viscosity project – Dr Michael Simmonds (Australia) – Chair

• Foeto-Maternal Haemorrhage (FMH) project – Dr Bruce Davis (USA) - Chair

• ICSH impedance project for JCTLM – Dr Yutaka Nagai, Japan, Dr Ben Hedley Canada. Co-Chairs

HAEMOSTASIS

• F11,FV11,FX, FX1, FX11, FX111, VWF inhibitor standardization project – Dr Simon Davidson, UK – Chair

• ICSH guideline on haemosatsis laboratory developed tests (ldt’s) – Dr Chris Gardiner – UK - Chair

• Thromboelosatography standardization project – Mr Ray Dauer, Australia - Chair

• Measurement of uncertainty in Haemostasis testing – Dr Stephen McDonald, UK

• Mixing studies – Dr Dorothy Adcock, USA – Chair

New ICSH Corporate Members

The ICSH welcomes new Corporate Members:

• Horiba - website

• Scopio - website

• Technoclone - website

New ICSH Affiliate Members

The ICSH welcome new Affiliate Member

• National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL) China

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